Nehemia 4
1 Bere a Sanbalat tee sɛ yɛreto ɔfasu no, ne bo fuw yiye. Nʼani beree yiye, dii Yudafo no ho fɛw,
BUT it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 wɔ ne nnamfonom ne Samaria asraafo mpanyimfo anim se, “Dɛn na Yudafo ahiafo, mmɔborɔfokuw yi dwene sɛ wɔreyɛ? Wogye di sɛ, sɛ wɔbɔ afɔre sɛ dɛn koraa a, wobetumi de da koro ato ɔfasu yi ana? Monhwɛ abo a ahyew asɛe yi a wɔreyiyi afi afabo yi mu de ayɛ adwuma bio?”
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Na Amonni Tobia a na ogyina ne nkyɛn kae se, “Saa abo fasu yi de, sɛ sakraman koraa fa so a, ebedwiriw agu fam!”
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Na mebɔɔ mpae se, “Yɛn Nyankopɔn, tie yɛn, na wɔredi yɛn ho fɛw. Ma wɔn fɛwdi no mmɔ wɔn ara wɔn ti so, na ma wɔn ankasa nkɔyɛ nnommum wɔ ananafo asase so.
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 Mmu wʼani ngu wɔn afɔdi so. Mpepa wɔn bɔne, efisɛ wɔahyɛ wo abufuw wɔ adansifo yi anim.”
And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 Eyi nyinaa akyi no, wɔtoo ɔfasu no kosii dedaw no sorokɔ fa twaa kurow no ho hyiae, efisɛ ɔmanfo no yɛɛ adwumaden.
So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 Na bere a Sanbalat ne Tobia ne Arabfo ne Amonfo ne Asdodfo tee sɛ adwuma no rekɔ so na wɔretuatua ɔfasu no mu atokuru no, wɔn bo fuw yiye.
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 Wɔn nyinaa yɛɛ nhyehyɛe sɛ wɔbɛba abɛko atia Yerusalem, na wɔama basabasayɛ aba hɔ.
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Nanso yɛbɔɔ yɛn Nyankopɔn mpae, wɛn kurow no awia ne anadwo de bɔɔ yɛn ho ban.
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 Afei, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda no fii ase nwiinwii kae se, “Adwumayɛfo no rebrɛ, na afabo no dɔɔso, na yɛn nko ara rentumi nyɛ adwuma no.”
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 Bere koro no ara mu no na yɛn atamfo nso reka se, “Ansa na wɔn ani bɛba wɔn ho so no, na yɛatow ahyɛ wɔn so, akunkum wɔn, ama adwuma no aba awiei.”
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 Yudafo a na wɔte bɛn atamfo no bɛbɔɔ yɛn amanneɛ mpɛn bebree se, “Wobefi afanan nyinaa abɛtow ahyɛ yɛn so.”
And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Enti mede awɛmfo a wokura akode kɔtenaa baabi a ɔfasu no yɛ tia, wɔ mmeaemmeae a ɛhɔ deda hɔ. Memaa mmusuakuw no gyinagyinaa sɛ awɛmfo a, wokurakura afoa, mpeaw ne agyan.
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Mehwɛɛ sɛnea nneɛma te no, mefrɛɛ ntuanofo no ne ɔmanfo no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Munnsuro atamfo no! Monkae Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔkɛse ne onuonyamfo no na monko mma mo nnamfonom, mo mmusua ne mo afi.”
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 Bere a yɛn atamfo tee sɛ yɛahu wɔn atirimpɔw ne sɛnea Onyankopɔn asɛe saa atirimpɔw no, yɛn nyinaa san kɔɔ ɔfasu no ho kɔtoaa yɛn adwuma so.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 Na efi saa bere no, me mmarima no dodow mu fa pɛ na wɔyɛɛ adwuma, na nkae no wɛn hɔ a wokurakura mpeaw, nkatabo, agyan, hyehyɛɛ akotade wɛn hɔ. Mpanyimfo no gyinagyinaa Yudafo no a
And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 na wɔreto ɔfasu no akyi. Apaafo no biara de ne nsa baako yɛɛ adwuma bere a nsa baako nso kura akode mu,
They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 na adansifo no mu biara wɔ afoa a ɛbɔ nʼataaso. Torobɛntohyɛnni no gyinaa me nkyɛn, na biribi si a, wahyɛn nʼabɛn.
For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 Afei, mekyerɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ atitiriw ne adwumayɛfo ne ɔmanfo no nyinaa se, “Adwuma no atrɛw, na yɛn ntam nso woware wɔ ɔfasu no so.
And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 Na sɛ mote torobɛnto no nnyigyei a, monyɛ ntɛm nkɔ baabi a nnyigyei no wɔ. Na yɛn Nyankopɔn bɛko ama yɛn.”
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 Yɛkɔɔ adwuma ntɛm tenaa so kyɛe fi bere a owia pue kosi bere a owia kɔtɔ. Na bere biara na nnipa no mu fa rewɛn.
So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Saa bere no meka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔtete ɔfasu no akyi no nso se, “Obiara ne ne boafo ntu nkɔ Yerusalem anadwo na ama wɔatumi awɛn anadwo, na wɔayɛ adwuma awia.”
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 Saa bere no, yɛn mu biara, sɛ ɛyɛ me anaa me fifo anaa mʼasomfo anaa awɛmfo a na wɔne me wɔ hɔ no anworɔw ne ntade da. Sɛ yɛrekɔpɛ nsu mpo a na yekurakura yɛn akode.
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
